INVISTA, a world leader in integrated fibers and polymers business and
owner of the LYCRA fiber brand and other performance fiber brands, has
launched its COOLMAX fabric brand in India. This is a unique
performance fabric that moves moisture away from the body whilst
enhancing fabric drying rate, thus keeping the wearer feeling cool and
dry. The fabric delivers performance and comfort to the wearer through
the use of polyester fibers with special micro channel cross sections
that transfer sweat from the body to the outside very effectively.
Realizing that “temperature regulation and sweat management in
clothing is one of the growing demands in the country due to the
tropical climate”, Andrew Evans, Managing Director, INVISTA South
Asia, said that INVISTA is continuing to develop and introduce new
technologies for the Indian market, and COOLMAX fabric is definitely
going to be a valuable offering for Indian consumers.
The features that make COOLMAX fabric unique are:
* Quick drying: The fabric enables moisture to reach the fabric’s
outer surface where it evaporates quickly
* Cool comfort: The fabric effectively moves perspiration away from
the body, and through the fabric. The thermo regulatory effect of
moisture transport helps keep skin temperature low, allowing the
wearer to feel cooler and more comfortable.
* Evaporative cooling: The multichannel cross sections of COOLMAX
fibers create a fabric with large surface area, versus circular
fibers. The larger fiber surface area, combined with proper fabric
construction, leads to a fast rate of evaporation. Evaporation causes
cooling.
* Durable performance: The moisture management performance of COOLMAX
fabric is inherent to the fiber structure itself; therefore, the
performance cannot be washed off.
* Support from INVISTA: Users of COOLMAX fibers have access to
technical support from INVISTA to help them maximize the performance
of their fabrics, as well as the confidence of having their fabrics
tested by INVISTA against a demanding set of moisture management
performance criteria to help ensure they meet or exceed consumer
expectations.
The performance story of COOLMAX fabric is supported by the fact that
each fabric style is tested against demanding performance standards
before a COOLMAX fabric hangtag can be released. Huw Williams,
Director, Global Specialties Businesses of INVISTA, says: “To support
its brand promise, the COOLMAX fabric business is supported by a
global technical organization that is staffed with specific expertise
to ensure responsiveness to apparel mills, brands and retailers
through a network of R&D, technical and textile engineers working at
our labs to test the performance required in the brand standards”.
On the impact that COOLMAX fabric has made globally, Simon
Whitmarsh-Knight, INVISTA’s Global Segment Director, Activewear &
Outdoor Apparel, observes that “COOLMAX fabric is perceived as the
leading technology in the moisture management category by consumers
throughout the world.”
According to a survey done by Strategic Insights, 69 per cent of avid
runners and 69 per cent of avid golfers in the US say that a garment
with COOLMAX fabric is “much better” than a garment with another type
of moisture management while 57 per cent of avid runners and 55 per
cent of avid golfers said that COOLMAX fabric makes sport garments
“much more desirable”. In Europe, 90 per cent of the respondents
agreed that clothes with COOLMAX fabric provide greater comfort and
performance.
Avinash Chandra, Marketing Head, South Asia, said: “We believe that
with COOLMAX fabric we can add another dimension of cool-comfort in
clothes for Indian consumers, which will help them perform better in
the hot and humid climate that prevails in the country for large time
of the year”.
Applications of COOLMAX fabric are not limited to sportswear and
activewear. It is used in a variety of applications ranging from
ready-to-wear, e.g., denims, shirts, trousers, suiting and T-shirts to
Intimate apparel, e.g., undergarments, vests, etc., to socks and
various other garment types. The specialty fibers for COOLMAX fabric
can also be blended with cotton, polyester and wool.